Systematic reviews

Kisely, S.P. et al Chest pain Recurrent chest pain in the absence of coronary artery disease is a common problem that sometimes leads to excess use of medical care. Although many studies examine the causes of pain in these patients, few clinical trials ha ...

Smart, N.A. et al Hypercholesterolaemia Hypercholesterolaemia, characterised by raised blood cholesterol levels, is not a disease itself but a metabolic derangement that often contributes to many diseases, notably cardiovascular disease. In most cases, el ...

Lan Lui, Z. et al Chinese medicine Hypercholesterolemia is an important key contributory factor for ischemic heart disease and is associated with age, high blood pressure, a family history of hypercholesterolemia, and diabetes. Chinese herbal medicines ha ...

Hooper, L. et al Heart disease Reduction and modification of dietary fats have differing effects on cardiovascular risk factors (such as serum cholesterol), but their effects on important health outcomes are less clear. The objective of this review is to ...

Hooper, L. et al Heart disease It has been suggested that omega 3 (W3, n-3 or omega-3) fats from oily fish and plants are beneficial to health. The objective of this review is to assess whether dietary or supplemental omega 3 fatty acids alter total morta ...

Brunner, E. et al Heart disease Changes in population diet are likely to reduce cardiovascular disease and cancer, but the effect of dietary advice is uncertain. The objective of this review is to assess the effects of providing dietary advice to achieve ...

Lumbiganon, P. and Chaikitpinyo, A. Heart disease Brain abscess is a focal, intracerebral infection that begins as a localized area of brain infection and develops into a collection of pus surrounded by a well-vascularized capsule. People with cyanotic co ...

O'Kearney, R.T., Anstey, K., von Sanden, C. andHunt, A. Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) Background This is an update of a Cochrane Review first published in The Cochrane Library in Issue 4, 2006. Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) in children an ...

Koch, M.W. et al Depression Depression is a common problem in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). It is unclear which pharmacologic treatment is the most effective and the least harmful. The objective of this review is to investigate the efficacy and t ...

Baxter, L., Bryant, J., Cave, C.B. and Milne, R. Genetic endocrine disorder Turner syndrome (TS) affects about one in 1500 to 2500 live-born females. One of the most prevalent and salient features of the syndrome is extremely short stature. Untreated wome ...

Critchley, J.A. and Capewell, S. Smoking cessation and coronary heart disease Although the importance of smoking as a risk factor for coronary heart disease is beyond doubt, the speed and magnitude of risk reduction when a smoker with coronary heart disea ...

Clar, C. Waugh, N. and Thomas, S. Treatment of children newly diagnosed with type 1 diabetes In many places, children newly diagnosed with type 1 diabetes mellitus are admitted to hospital for metabolic stabilisation and training, even if they are not acu ...

Masso, M.L. et al Type 1 diabetes Type 1 diabetes is a metabolic disorder resulting from a defect in insulin secretion. Onset of type 1 diabetes mellitus may occur at any age and it is one of the most common chronic diseases of childhood and adolescence. ...

Robertson, L.M., Waugh, N. and Robertson, A. Effects of dietary protein restriction Diabetic renal disease (diabetic nephropathy) is a leading cause of end-stage renal failure. Once the process has started, it cannot be reversed by glycaemic control, but ...

Vardi, M. and Nini, A. Erectile dysfunction and diabetes Erectile dysfunction is a common multi-factorial complication of diabetes mellitus. Numerous strategies have been tried to overcome this diabetic complication. In recent years, phosphodiesterase typ ...

Siebenhofer, A. et al Insulin treatment Short acting insulin analogue use for diabetic patients is still controversial, as reflected in many scientific debates. The objective of this review is to assess the effects of short acting insulin analogues versus ...

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Latest spotlights

Ireland’s survival rates for cancer patients have improved significantly – latest figures published by The Lancet

Public Health Alcohol Bill to return to the Oireachtas this week

The Minister for Health, Simon Harris has stressed the importance of taking steps, as a society, to prevent cancer. The Minister was marking World Cancer Day, which takes place every year on the 4th of February.

Minister Harris said “Ireland is making significant strides in cancer control. The latest figures published by The Lancet confirm we are moving up the global rankings and cancer survival rates here have improved significantly. Five-year survival rates for cancer have improved from 44.2% (1994-1998) to 61.1% (2010-2014).

“The National Cancer Strategy 2017-2026 aims to ensure that survival rates in Ireland continue to improve and that, over the lifetime of this Strategy, Irish survival rates will reach the top quartile in Europe. In achieving this we must also ensure that our services meet the needs of those living with and beyond cancer, from diagnosis and treatment to psycho-social support post-treatment. I am delighted to see a focus on improving the quality of life for cancer survivors through World Cancer Day”

The National Cancer Registry of Ireland has released its 22nd annual statistical report. This report summarises cancer incidence, mortality and survival in Ireland for the period 1994-2015, and provides projected estimates for incidence for the most recent three-year period: 2015-2017. The cumulative lifetime risk (to age 75 years) of an invasive cancer diagnosis was approximately 1 in 3 for men and 1 in 4 for women. The absolute risk difference between the most and least deprived 20% of the population was highest for pancreatic (+14%), lung (+9%), colon (+8%), oesophageal (+8%), and ovarian cancers (+7%). Age-standardized rates of all invasive cancers (excluding non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC)) were 26% higher in men than in women. Overall, taking the first recorded invasive cancer (exc. NMSC) for each patient, the proportion of cases presenting as an emergency was 15% (of all cases whose admission type was known). The cancers with the highest proportion of emergency presentation were: pancreas (34%), lung (26%), ovary (24%) and colon (22%). For all cancer types, patients resident in the most deprived areas were more likely to present as an emergency. For all cancers examined, relative differences by deprivation were substantial, with patients from the most deprived group 25%-67% more likely to present as emergencies, depending on the cancer type (54% for all cancers combined). Similar data on cancer in Northern Ireland is available here.

Eating 10 portions of fruit and vegetables a day may give us longer lives, say researchers

The study, by Imperial College London, showed that while eating the recommended five a day still helps reduce the risk of disease, the highest benefits are seen in people who consume 10 portions and calculated such eating habits could prevent 7.8 million premature deaths each year. A portion counts as 80g (3oz) of fruit or veg - the equivalent of a small banana, a pear or three heaped tablespoons of spinach or peas. The team also identified specific fruit and veg that reduced the risk of cancer and heart disease. Lower risks of cancer were linked to eating; green veg (eg spinach); yellow veg (eg peppers), and cruciferous vegetables (eg cauliflower). Lower risks of heart disease and strokes were linked to eating; apples; pears; citrus fruits; salads; green leafy vegetables (eg lettuce) and cruciferous veg.

The number of people living with depression is increasing, 18% between 2005 and 2015. In the lead-up to World Health Day on 7 April, which this year will focus on this increasingly important issue, WHO is releasing today a new global report on health estimates on depression. This report provides latest available estimates of the prevalence of depression and other common mental disorders at the global and regional level, together with data concerning the consequences of these disorders in terms of lost health. Reliable, up-to-date estimates of the proportion of a general population affected by different diseases or health conditions is a key ingredient of effective health policy, planning and evaluation.

E-cigarettes are less toxic and safer to use compared to conventional cigarettes, according to research published in Annals of Internal Medicine. Scientists at UCL found that people who swapped smoking regular cigarettes for e-cigarettes or nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) for at least six months, had much lower levels of toxic and cancer causing substances in their body than people who continued to use conventional cigarettes. The research was funded by Cancer Research UK.

Cancer cases among women are rising six times faster than in men, according to new research.

According to Cancer Research UK, unhealthy lifestyles are responsible for the rise in cancer cases among both sexes - but women are bearing the brunt of the increase. Obesity is one of the factors that can increase the risk of cancers that only affect women, such as womb cancer and ovarian cancer. Cervical and oral cancers are also on the rise in women. Smoking rates are now falling across the UK - but lung cancer figures are beginning to reflect women who took up the habit over recent decades. The charity says that cancer rates will continue to climb nearly six times faster in women than men over the next 20 years.

The Northern Ireland Minister for Infrastructure is committed to increasing the level of active travel and strongly supports improving health and wellbeing for everyone across the region. In this draft Belfast Bicycle Network consultation document, the Minister sets out his plans to develop a quality bicycle infrastructure for Belfast. The Consultation opened on 23 January 2017. Closing date 13 April 2017 at 17:00.

Women aged 25 to 60 across Ireland are being urged this week to look after their health by making sure they’re up to date with their free smear test to help prevent cervical cancer. The campaign marks the beginning of European Cervical Cancer Prevention Week, which takes place from January 24th to 30th. Regular cervical screening can detect changes to the cervix early. Most of the changes detected will not lead to cervical cancer but early detection and treatment of pre-cancerous cells can prevent cancer developing in most cases.

Eating certain foods that have been cooked at high temperatures could be linked to cancer, according to health officials

The danger foods include chips, toast, biscuits, crackers, crisps, breakfast cereals (except for porridge), coffee, cooked pizza bases, black olives and cereal-based baby foods. Also on the list are root vegetables such as potatoes, sweet potatoes, beetroot, turnip, swede and parsnips once they have been fried until dark brown or crispy. When cooked at high temperatures (above 120C) a chemical compound forms called acrylamide and studies on mice have shown that high levels of it can cause neurological damage and cancer. Studies in humans have proved inconclusive. However, the US Environmental Protection Agency has said it is "likely to be carcinogenic to humans" and the International Agency for Research on Cancer described it as a "probable human carcinogen".

New report from WHO offers global resource on using the law to improve health

Soda tax in Mexico. Salt limits in South Africa. Plain tobacco packaging in Australia. National health insurance in Ghana. A new report produced by WHO and partners has case studies on how new laws have improved the health and safety of people, providing a resource for countries to learn from positive experiences in other parts of the world.